Into the Woods

Into the Woods by NYMT at the Maddermarket Theatre

Into the Woods
Norfolk Youth Music Theatre at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich

Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 6 November 2015

Into the Woods, the 2014 film with its stellar cast list helped popularise this musical, which remains one of the darkest, musically challenging and fascinating from the Sondheim repertoire.

NYMT are to be congratulated for boldly engaging with this dramatic musical theatre at every level – singing, choreography, stage business and some superb characters to interpret a selection of ‘fairy tales’ which are not for young children.

Each character’s quest has an effect on others; every action has a reaction. Cleverly, it appears all done with a happy ending as the first act closes. Into the second half, it gets darker as life and death choices are made.

The band is strong and Adrian Connell’s overall direction is sensitive, dramatic, shocking, very funny in parts producing a great piece of youth theatre.

Cinderella (Leila Hooton), Baker (Archie Brown), his wife (Olivia Taylor), Little Red Riding Hood (Daisy Wilson), the Witch (Molly Cutter) and the princes (Zachary Green and Felix Revell) are stand-out performances from a confident and talented cast.

If you go down into the woods at the Maddermarket this week you’re sure of an entertaining surprise.